Field observations, experiments, and modeling of sediment production from freeze and thaw action on a bare, weathered granite slope in a temperate region of Japan

• Field observations of sediment production due to freeze and thaw action on a slope were conducted.
• Sediment was produced by active freeze and thaw processes during winter season.
• Surface leaf cover drastically decreased sediment production.
• Repeated freezing and thawing events are necessary for sediment production.
• A freeze and thaw index that incorporates the depth and repetition of freeze and thaw is proposed.

In the present study, field observations and model simulations were conducted to examine the process of sediment production due to freeze and thaw action in a temperate climate region. Two small areas were designated and observations were conducted to determine the mechanisms of sediment production due to freeze and thaw action on a bare, weathered granite slope in the Tanakami Mountains in the southern part of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. During the cold season from 2004 to 2005, air, surface, and subsurface temperatures were measured at 10-min intervals. The sediment produced on plot 1 was collected and weighed once per week, whereas the sediment produced on plot 2 was left untouched until the end of the cold season. The freeze and thaw cycle occurred repeatedly, with the frozen zone (i.e., temperature < 0 °C) extending to a depth of 10 cm. Sediment was produced as a result of active freeze and thaw processes and, accordingly, there was no longer sediment production at the end of the cold season. Plots 1 and 2 produced 108 and 44 kg m− 2 year− 1 of sediment, respectively. This difference indicates that sediment cover of the saprolite surface mitigated the destructive effects of freezing. During the cold season from 2005 to 2006, a half of plot 1 was covered by broadleaves (Quercus serrata) and the other half was covered by coniferous leaves (Pinus densiflora); plot 2 was covered by no leaves to understand the effects of surface cover on the reduction in sediment production. The results showed that surface leaf cover dramatically decreased sediment production due to freeze and thaw action versus the no-surface cover. A simulation model combining a thermal conductivity analysis and a simple and empirical sediment production model was developed to estimate the amount of sediment produced by the freeze and thaw action. The observation results of temperature change and amount of sediment during the first season, from 2004 to 2005, were simulated with the model. The model assumption, that repeated freezing and thawing events are necessary for the production of sediment from saprolite (14 cycles of the freeze and thaw with a freezing threshold of − 1 °C), is supported by comparisons of the simulated results and the observations. From an engineering viewpoint, a freeze and thaw index that incorporates the freezing depth and the repetition number of freeze and thaw cycles is proposed to estimate total amount of sediment produced from a wide area, such as a catchment scale, over a long period.